Susan Berg, dementia expert, shares practical help for caregivers of those with dementia including easy to do activities

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

When it comes to Alzheimer's, brain size does matter

WMAQ NBC5 TV Chicago

Alzheimer's disease and related dementias usually shows up late in life, but researchers said that signs may appear decades in advance.

One of the signs could be poor school performance, University of South Florida researchers said.The researchers based their conclusion on a study of nuns. Those who had a smaller head size were more likely to have had dementia or showed signs of Alzheimer's during an autopsy.

The people with smaller heads -- and, thus, it was assumed, smaller brains -- also were more likely to have done poorly in school.

A news release said that previous studies have found that Alzheimer’s disease is related to head size, with people having smaller heads more likely to show symptoms...read the full storyclick here for some additional comments